title: Plasma interleukin-3 (IL-3) and IL-7 concentrations in children with homozygous beta-thalassemia.
abstract: Plasma levels of IL-3 and IL-7 were studied in 23 patients with homozygous beta-thalassemia in order to determine whether these cytokines are involved in abnormalities in erythropoiesis and immune responses as observed in thalassemic patients. No significant difference was found in plasma IL-7 concentrations between thalassemic patients and healthy controls and it was suggested that IL-7 is not a cytokine involved in cellular immunological alterations in beta-thalassemia. However, the number of thalassemic patients with detectable IL-3 concentrations was significantly higher. It was concluded that IL-3 production has to be studied in detail in order to learn more about the involvement of this cytokine in erythropoiesis of thalassemic patients.
authors.affiliation: Ege University, Medical School, Department of Pediatrics, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kutukculer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vergin
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cetingul
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kavakli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caglayan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oztop
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nisli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004920:Erythropoiesis / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000502:physiology; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007377:Interleukin-3; D015851:Interleukin-7